Guest Post: Friday FITspiration Week 4/4

This is the last post we have with Stephanie from Infinite Life Fitness  to give us some tips & tricks to help us achieve our fitness goals. This chick is fabulous and the more I read her blog, the more motivated I get. We will also announce the GIVEAWAY winner today too!

Hello my fellow fitness enthusiast.  Sad to say this, but this is my LAST Friday FITspiration on this blog! But don’t be sad! You can find more Friday FITspiration every Friday on my health and fitness blog infinitelifefitness.com!

Today I would like to share some tips on creating the other important component to reaching your health and fitness goals.  YOUR WORKOUT!  Eating right and your fitness routine are the two key things that you have to be consistent with in order to reach your health and fitness goals in a desired time frame.  

As I have stated in every post previous to this, before you embark on a new fitness routine please make sure you are cleared by your doctor first!  Also, if you work out and start to feel extreme pain STOP!  It is ok if you feel a slight discomfort, but if it is an extreme pain that means you may be doing something wrong or you hurt yourself!

When creating your own workouts you have to be aware of your resources.  Will you have a gym that you can use?  Will you have to work out at home or outside? Does your job offer some kind of incentive for working out? Do you have any other spaces/facilities you can use to complete a workout?

If your job offers incentives for working out you would be a fool not to participate!! At my company they offer a discounted health package, we get a FREE membership to a local gym, we get free evaluations every 4 months, plus a whole list of other opportunities to allow people the chance to participate in a healthy lifestyle.  If you are unsure, it would be best to go to your Human Resources adviser and see if they have anything like that.

If you have a gym to use, the best thing to do is ask the manager (or if they have onsite training) if they can show you around the gym and how to use the machines.  If you are using the machines incorrectly you could potentially hurt yourself or worse not get the true benefit of working out that day.  Working out in the gym allows you the chance to use the cardio machines as well as lift weights.  The key to losing weight and sculpting the body you want is a mix of cardio AND strength training.  Now ladies, I promise you will not get big and bulky like a body builder if you lift weights!! Lifting weights will allow you the chance to strengthen and tighten your muscles so when you start to lose those unwanted pounds your body will look firm and fit (not saggy and droopy).  You want to not lift heavy the first few sessions you have until you know how much you can lift and what exercises you can do.  My rule I tell my clients is if you can lift it 10 times without extreme muscle fatigue than you are doing good and gradually build up the weight every 4-6 weeks.  I would suggest doing 3-5 sets with 8-15 reps in each set.  This is where you get to create your own workout plan and decide which exercises you want to do!

With cardio, the key is to get your heart rate up and maintain it for about 30 minutes.  I always suggest a 10 minute warm up and then go right into your more intense cardio session.  This can be done on the treadmill, elliptical, bike, stairmaster, or any other machine they may have for you to use.  Again, start off slower and then start to build up your speed and resistance.

For those who do not have a gym to attend there are SO many resources you can use in your home or outside.  I know the weather may be bad in some areas so you may be forced to stay inside for your workout.  There are dozens of circuit training videos you can find online to use in your home.  You can also do things like jumping rope, jumping jacks, lunges, and sit ups in the comfort of your home!  I usually tell clients that they can do these things WHILE THEY WATCH THEIR FAVORITE TV SHOW AT NIGHT! It is a great trade off because you kill two birds with one stone.  You get your workout done and you get to see your favorite weekly show.

There are so many other routines you can do in your home, at your local park, around your neighborhood, or maybe even at your kid’s school.  You just have to be aware of your resources and use them!  For more fitness exercises you can do for your workout or healthy food ideas please feel free to visit my blog!

And as with any other extreme activities that you would like to do, please consult with your physician first before you embark on any kind of physical activity, meal plans, or any other activities that may be harmful to you or your health needs.  

I hope the tips I shared with you will help you guys start planning out your NEW and HEALTY fitness lifestyle!  For other daily health and fitness tips please feel free to check out my blog at infinitelifefitness.com. Have a happy and healthy weekend!

Latest Obsession: Brown Rice & Quinoa

Before the #NYNR challenge, brown rice was as close as I was getting to exploring other grains. Then I found a blend of brown rice, quinoa and garlic prepackaged at Costco. It was very flavorful and not "weird tasting". It also didn't have ANY preservatives so it was #NYNR approved!

A month later when I was browsing/spending money for no reason in Trader Joes, I found some tri-color quinoa on sale so I picked it up. I actually didn't try to cook it until last week though. Immediately when I opened the package I noted that I smelled very nutty. Since I loved the prepackaged quinoa and brown rice, I decided to make my own. I made the brown rice and the quinoa separately according to the package directions and then mixed them together.

It was delicious. And I didn't miss the garlic. (In the photo above, I also had a turkey burger and sautéed red onions.) I've been storing the rice and quinoa in separate containers and just mixing some together when I make my meals, so I am not sure what would happen if I mixed both batches together.... I doubt anything would happen except the nutty smell of the quinoa would probably overpower the rice.

My goal is to try to see if I can use less and less rice and eat more quinoa. I'm such a chicken that I didn't even try the quinoa solo yet. I didn't want to mess up a good thing, ya know?

Have you ever tried quinoa?

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Guest Post: Friday FITspiration Week 3/4

For the next 2 Fridays, Stephanie from Infinite Life Fitness will be here to give us some tips & tricks to help us achieve our fitness goals. This chick is fabulous and the more I read her blog, the more motivated I get. Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY today too!

Happy Fitness Friday!  I hope the previous tips that I shared with you were able to help you transform your old eating habits/menu into a healthier menu! Today I would like to share some snack tips and suggestions for you that you may like to incorporate into your new healthy menu!

Here are a few essentials that I ALWAYS have in my cupboard.  These are some “snacking essentials” that should always give you the nutrient profile that you need to stay on track with your healthy eating.

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains (oat meal, whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, whole grain rice)
• Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts)
• Low-fat dairy products
• Dark chocolate

And yes I just listed dark chocolate!  There have been studies to prove the health benefits of consuming small moderate amounts of dark chocolate.  It may be hard but stick to one portion size.  You can also get creative and incorporate it into your yogurt, cottage cheese, or other food options to add sweetness and flavor to anything that you think is bland. 

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For your snack here are a few key things to keep in mind:

• Allow your snack to be around 200 (but no more than 300) calories. This is just enough calories/nutrients to keep your metabolism working and to curve any between meal hunger cravings you may have 
• You will want to try to have a snack that has around 5 grams of protein, no more than 12 grams of fat, and around 5 grams of fiber. These are all estimates so try to stick close to those values. This will allow you to have a well-balanced snack. Things like fiber and protein can be digested and broken down slowly by your body which will make you feel satisfied longer. You always want to try to keep your fat intake low.

They key to eating correctly is eating until you feel satisfied.  If you get the “I am full” feeling you have eaten too much! You stomach and brain do not communicate as fast as you eat food.  So by the time your brain realizes that you are full you have consumed more than you should have.  You should not be hungry after you eat your meals and when you eat your snacks.  If you are eating nutrient rich products your body should be find working off of the food you are feeding it.  It may take you a few days to a week to get use to this.  We have always been taught to eat until we are stuffed and that is the wrong mindset.  You want to eat until you are satisfied and not hungry anymore.  Don’t worry! You will get to eat/snack again in just a few hours.  And if you are not satisfied after your meal it is always safe to double up on veggies to help you crave your hunger.  Never starve yourself!  You have to learn what are good foods to fuel your body to keep your hunger at bay.

Here is an example of some low-calorie snack options for you:

• Celery with peanut butter, cheese, yogurt, nuts, or anything else you would like to eat it with 
• Small baby spinach salad with other veggies (like tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, etc.) DON’T FORGET to LIMIT the kind of dressing you use! Stay away from the thick and creamy types of dressings (and soups!) they carry the most calories and other ingredients. Stick with the clear types of dressings (or soups). And also stick with the suggested portion size! It is not ideal to drown your salad in the dressing. 
• Cottage cheese or plain yogurt and you can add your own fruit! This is a much healthier and cheaper option. It is great if you buy a big tub of it and portion it out yourself. 
• You can also make your own fruit or veggie mix and have peanut butter or yogurt on the side 
• Nuts with a small portion of fruit (or veggie) 
• Popcorn (no added butter or salt! Try getting the plain popcorn with nothing added and add your own spices to it!)

There are so many healthy low calorie snack options available! You just have to be cautions of what those options are!  Be open minded and try new items that you have not tried before!

And as with any other extreme activities that you would like to do, please consult with your physician first before you embark on any kind of physical activity, meal plans, or any other activities that may be harmful to you or your health needs. 

I hope the tips I shared with you will help you guys start planning out your NEW and HEALTHIER meal menus for this week!  For other daily health and fitness tips please feel free to check out my blog at infinitelifefitness.com. Please feel free to check back next week to see what other health and fitness tips I share! Have a happy and healthy weekend!

***ATTENTION! This week we are offering a giveaway!  I am giving away 3 months of my health and fitness training away to ONE lucky follower of this blog! That is meal planning, exercises, and other health and fitness advice (over $350 worth of services) FOR FREE!

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WINNER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL.

Guest Post: Friday FITspiration Week 2/4

For the next 3 Fridays, Stephanie from Infinite Life Fitness will be here to give us some tips & tricks to help us achieve our fitness goals. This chick is fabulous and the more I read her blog, the more motivated I get. She will also be hosting a giveaway here in week 3, so please make sure you check in every Friday to get the details of how to enter! 

Hey guys! This is Stephanie from Infinite Life Fitness here to share some more health and fitness tips with you!  Today I would like to share MORE meal planning tips with you!  Meal planning is one of the MOST important aspects to reaching your health and fitness goals. 

There is a little saying that I heard and like to share with the clients that I train…”If you fail to plan, than you can plan to fail!”  What that means is if you fail to plan out your meals and snacks, than it is likely that you will fail at staying on track with your healthy eating!  Most people say “I do not have time so I go grab food at this fast food place” or they run into the grocery store and just grab whatever is convenient.  Well that is not good planning! Planning out your meals (and even making them ahead of time) allows you to already know what you can/will eat and eliminates the need to go to the store or fast food place to “grab something quick”.  What I personally do is I will set aside one day a week (usually Saturday or Sunday) and I will make meals to last me all week!  Yes my fridge and freezer are FULL of Tupperware with my measured out correct portion sizes of my meals. 

I will bake a whole pack of chicken, fish, beef, or whatever meat I choose to eat that day.  I will make a big pot of rice (or pasta), and I will make a big pot of veggies.  In each of my Tupperware containers I will put 4-6 oz. of meat, 1 cup of veggies, and 1 cup of pasta or rice.  I will use these containers for lunch/dinner.  They are already measured out and in the Tupperware so when I am ready to eat all I have to do is grab a Tupperware with the meal I want, throw it on a plate, and heat it up! Talk about “fast food”!  It is pre-maid, healthy, and in the end it did save me money!

Like I said before you have to plan out your meals or you will be tempted to go to those restaurant or food places that you love, which will also tempt you to get the same less healthy foods that you should limit in your diet.

The same can go for your snacks.  You can create your own “snack packs” with zip lock bags or reusable Tupperware (so you can re-wash them and save money as well!).  You can buy the larger containers of yogurt or big bags of fruit/veggies and portion them out correctly into the zip lock bags/Tupperware.  This will allow you to have the right portion size and not tempt you to sneak another handful of chips, fruit, or whatever else you decide you want for your snack that day. 

Also, are you drinking enough water?  You should substitute water for one of your favorite cokes or red bulls during the day.  Most people do not realize that they consume most of their calories via the sugary non nutrient beverages they sip on all day!  Yes switching to the diet version of your favorite carbonated beverage is a good alternative, BUT you should slowly try to wing yourself off of those types of drinks in general.

So as the saying goes, “If you fail to plan, than you can plan to fail!”  So start planning out your menu to help you save time, money, and temptation to veer away from your healthy eating!

And as with any other extreme activities that you would like to do, please consult with your physician first before you embark on any kind of physical activity, meal plans, or any other activities that may be harmful to you or your health needs. 

I hope the tips I shared with you will help you guys start planning out your NEW and HEALTHIER meal menus for this week!  For other daily health and fitness tips please feel free to check out my blog at infinitelifefitness.com. Please feel free to check back next week to see what other health and fitness tips I share! Have a happy and healthy weekend!

Guest Post: Friday FITspiration Week 1/4

For the next 4 Fridays, Stephanie from Infinite Life Fitness will be here to give us some tips & tricks to help us achieve our fitness goals. This chick is fabulous and the more I read her blog, the more motivated I get. She will also be hosting a giveaway here in week 3, so please make sure you check in every Friday to get the details of how to enter! 

Hello! My name is Stephanie from Infinite Life Fitness and for the month of February I will be speaking to you EVERY week here on THIS blog about how to jump start your health and fitness goals (if you have made any or if you have ever wanted to start getting healthier!)

One of the most important things about starting off your health and fitness journey is making REALISTIC goals.  You want to set a goal that will be obtainable in a realistic amount of time.  No you cannot lose 20 pounds in two weeks (and if you are/have you should probably go see a doctor! This is not very healthy at all!)  Realistically you will lose 1-4 pounds a week.  That is only if you are eating the right foods AND incorporating a steady consistent workout schedule.  Also, you do not have to sit down and consume 2-3 BIG meals a day.  The goal is to have small meals every 2-3 hours to fuel your body, keep you satisfied, and keep your body working!

No matter what you cannot workout and eat whatever you want if you want to reach your goals!  One of the MOST important things about reaching your goals is the food you use to fuel your body!

My rule that I tell my clients…if the nutritional label has ingredients that you cannot pronounce or you have no idea what they are….you probably should not eat it!  Learn to look at your nutritional labels and see what is in the food that you are feeding yourself! You will be surprised to see so many harmful chemicals and other agents are in foods and snacks that you eat regularly.

Fresh (or frozen) fruits are a good purchase.  You should try to have at least one serving of veggies with each meal! Frozen veggies are a good alternative if you are on a budget.  Local grocery stores sometimes will have a great sale on frozen veggies so you can pick up a few packs, toss them in your freezer, and not worry about them going bad/getting moldy!  BUT make sure to stick with the PLAIN frozen veggies (no added sauces or butter).  Those added sauces will raise the fat, calories, and other potential “Bad” things that can be added to the veggies.  Find your own spices to use to season them to make them taste how you like! (For example…Mrs. Dash has a whole line of spices that are salt free and taste amazing!  McCormick also has a good variety of spice or you can mix your own blend of spice to add to your meals.)

The next important thing to pay attention to is your portion sizes.  That is one number one issue with eating too much (or not enough).  Look at the following image of a good indication of the CORRECT portion sizes of most common foods that you may eat:

Here is a good example of an eating schedule that should help you visualize how often/what you should be eating:

• 8:00 AM BREAKFAST: 2 large eggs (scrambled in olive oil), 1 piece of whole grain toast, 1 large fruit/1 cup or fruit (berries of fruit cut into cubes)
• 10:00 AM: 1 small cup of yogurt, 1 serving of nuts (almonds, pecans, or walnuts are all a great choice) or 1 small banana with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
• 12:00 LUNCH: 1 baked chicken breast, 1 cup of green veggies, 1 cup or brown rice or whole wheat pasta
• 2:00 PM: 18 baked tortilla chips with 1/4 cup guacamole
• 5:00 PM DINNER: 4oz grilled salmon, ½-1 cup green veggies, and 1 cup of brown rice or whole wheat pasta
• (If you are still hungry) 8:00 PM: 1 cup HEALTHY cereal with 2% or fat free milk

Now remember, the above menu is just an example!  You should eat every 2-3 hours and you should start your first meal within 2-3 hours after waking up in the morning.  There are so many other healthy options that you can use for your snacks and meals.

Eating the right things and learning to turn down those yummy treats you are accustomed to having is one of the HARDEST parts of getting on track with your health and fitness. Once you are able to learn that self-control everything else will just fall into place! Like I said the diet is SO important if you want to reach your health and fitness goals in you set time frame.

And as with any other extreme activities that you would like to do, please consult with your physician first before you embark on any kind of physical activity, meal plans, or any other activities that may be harmful to you or your health needs. 

I hope the tips I shared with you will help you guys start planning out your NEW and HEALTHIER meal menus for this week!  For other daily health and fitness tips please feel free to check out my blog at infinitelifefitness.com. Please feel free to check back next week to see what other health and fitness tips I share! Have a happy and healthy weekend!

What is moderation?

A few weeks ago, one of my great girlfriends, Chelle from Everyday Polish, asked me what my view is on moderation when it comes to dieting.

"What constitutes "moderation"? 1 bite of a cookie? 1 cookie? 1 cookie 

once a week? 1 cookie once a month? I feel like everybody can define 

excess and overindulgence but I've never come across good guidelines 

for practical moderation, which is very relevant this holiday season. "

                                                 Source: joannagoddard.blogspot.com via KandidlyKim @ Work It Out, Gurl on Pinterest

Although the holiday season is over, moderation is something that is beneficial to learn when it comes to eating in everyday life. My personal opinion is that you should look at how much you eat whatever that specific food or food group is on a regular basis and then try to cut that in half when you are trying to lose weight. If you find that you are having trouble reaching your goals, you may need to cut that half in half again.

One day when I was listening to SiriusXM Doctor Radio, one of the doctors noted that if you eat 1 pea a day and you can't lose weight, sometimes you must cut that single pea in half. That is how I look at moderation. If you are trying to lose weight, then you may need to exercise a stricter sense of moderation. If you are maintaining and/or not even watching your fitness and eating a cookie a day doesn't hurt you, then go ahead and eat it if you like. Of course, there are healthier options, but that's a completely different conversation. Moderation, in my opinion, depends on your goals.

My trainer always says that it can be the smallest things in your diet that prohibit you from reaching your goals. I was at the shake counter at my gym getting my usual chocolate protein shake with peanut butter after a workout, and my trainer walked up behind me and said, "You know, you may need to eliminate that dinosaur paste (peanut butter) when you are getting closer to your goals, right?" Of course I made a face because the peanut butter is the best part! But he went on to explain that when you are trying to lose weight, and your body is sensitive (like mine) sometimes you need to be more strict on your eating in order to meet your goals. Moreover, this dribbles into the topic of emotional eating because most of the time we know that we don't need that extra cookie... we just want it. There is a difference. I know that I don't need to have the peanut butter in my protein shake. I've drank plenty without it, but I just like it; despite knowing the empty calories that it is adding into my system.

How do you implement moderation into your diet?

#NYNR Day 2

Today is Day 2 of the #NYNR and it is honestly going really well! I think I am okay because I am allowed to have oatmeal and sweet potatoes. But one HUGE factor that I completely forgot to mention was not having to count calories. I asked in the forum for the challenge on Monday and both lovely ladies said it is not needed!

I cannot tell you what a relief it is for someone to tell me not to count calories. I have this odd obsession when I make myself do it. I have also been measuring and counting calories for so long now that I honestly shouldn't have to do it. I know what a portion size is. I know what is in the food I eat. And I also know when I overeat. So why do I count calories? Because it gives me comfort that I can look back to my food diaries.  I also have this secret obsession with tracking on MyFitnessPal so I can get the little notification about how many days I have tracked my food.... #don'tjudgeme. So, 15 days with no tracking (13 to go after today!) AND I am supposed to lose weight?! This may be the master plan for me.

On another note, I keep hearing that I look smaller. Some of my clothes are fitting looser, but I am not sure if that has to do with my husband's laundry techniques... The number on the scale went up a bit from the holidays, but it should start to do head in the right direction shortly since I am back exercising and eating correctly. I am going to resume my #50in52 posts with Week 16 (January 16th) after I have been able to get a handle on my life again.

How is everyone doing now that the holidays are over? And have you ever tried a gluten free diet?

The Dirty Dozen vs The Clean 15

Since Amber and I have been trying to overload ourselves on fruits and veggies lately, I did a little research on the best ones to try and incorporate into our diets and I came across 2 lists. When you are juicing or eating fruits/veggies raw, it helps to do a little research to make sure that you are not ingesting extra amounts of pesticides. 

                                                           Source: almostunschoolers.blogspot.com via KandidlyKim on Pinterest

The Dirty Dozen

This is a list of fruits and veggies that are most likely to have more pesticides due to their thin skins that we sometimes even digest, like peaches. Studies show that if you are going to buy organic, you should try to buy the fruits and veggies on this list specifically to avoid consuming pesticides.

celery

peaches

strawberries

apples

domestic blueberries

nectarines

sweet bell peppers

spinach, kale and collard greens

cherries

potatoes

imported grapes

lettuce

The Clean 15
These guys are known for showing little to no traces of pesticides. And the fruits and veggies that were tested were NOT organic. The thicker skin protects the fruit/veggie from getting contaminated naturally. 

onions

avocados

sweet corn

pineapples

mango

sweet peas

asparagus

kiwi fruit

cabbage

eggplant

cantaloupe

watermelon

grapefruit

sweet potatoes

sweet onions

Information for this post was inspired and taken from THIS source.

Finishing What I Started

Not too long ago I wrote a post about juicing  and as you can see I haven't really spoken about it since. Please don't get it twisted I have NOT fallen off of the weight-loss bandwagon, but because I have been on the go so much lately I am starting to miss how juicing made me feel. Never in my life have I felt so amazing, when I was juicing (although it was for a short period) I woke up on level 10 and I never crashed, my energy was through the roof, my skin looked amazing and overall I felt great!

So I made the decision to start juicing again, I promised before to post some of my favorite recipes and I can assure you that this time it is for real. I Amber L. vow to post once a week recapping what juices I made for the week and how I am feeling. One reason why I love blogging is because I feel free to share my experiences, and show that I am a real person with real problems, and as most of you know weight-loss has its ups and downs so I will share my ups and downs with you guys for the next 30 days.

 I made it up in my mind that I am going on a 30 day juice fast, I know it sounds extreme but I am ready for the challenge. I am going to purchase my new juicer today. I was surfing the internet as always, and I came across the GNC Deluxe Juicer and it is on sale, my favorite price.  Although I love my Magic Bullet sometimes my juice comes out chunky and I have a hard time chewing my juice, LOL. I will definitely do a review and let you guys know if it is worth the purchase.

Thank you guys for your support and motivation, our readers mean the world to me and I'm glad to be surrounded by so many awesome bloggers working it out (Pun Intended)! Stay tuned for my updates.

The Perfect Breakfast: 2 Ingredient Pancake

When I first read about the 2 Ingredient Pancake on one of my favorite blogs, Carrots N' Cake, I had a feeling that it would be really good. I love bananas and I love eggs, so putting them together shouldn't be so bad.

Nutritional Information: Calories 177, Carbs 27, Fat 5, Protein 7, Fiber 3

Calculated in MyFitnessPal

Despite the fact that this is only 177 calories, I really felt full. Over at Carrots N' Cake, Tina uses sunflower butter or almond butter on hers, so I added a little peanut butter to mine (that's not included in the calories above). It was seriously delicious. So here is how I made mine.

Ingredients:

1 medium banana (mine was a tad over ripe so it was easier to smash)

1 large egg

Directions:

Combine the scrambled egg with the mashed banana until smooth. In a frying pan coated with 0 calorie non-stick spray, pour the mixture into the pan (Just like a pancake!). The heat should be set to medium because it will take a little while to cook the first side. Once the edges get brown and the middle is bubbling up, it's time to flip it over. As you can see above... I lost a little of the mixture with my flip, but it all worked out in the end. The second side only needs a little time (approximately 5 minutes) to cook all the way through.

Note: if you flip the pancake too soon, it will really break apart and you will have a 2 ingredient mess in your frying pan. Be patient and make sure the bottom is brown before you flip it over. 

Let me know if you try this out. I know this will become part of my regular breakfast routine! And that you Tina for sharing this great recipe!

Real Chics, Real Food:Changing Up Your Diet with Skinny Taste

When you are dieting/changing your lifestyle/ or whatever else you would like to call it, you get bored easily. Eating the same 3 meals and 2 snacks everyday or at least Monday through Friday can literally be the sole reason for you falling off the bandwagon and into the nearest McDonald's.Therefore, I have made a pack to myself to start trying new recipes and actually following the recipe so I end up with something new instead of something I normally eat.

What has truly helped me is the wonderful website called Skinny Taste. This fabulous woman creates new and exciting recipes weekly that include all of the nutritional information AND the weight watchers points on the new system and the old system.

Chicken Cacciatore served with spagetti

Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce served with brown rice

Both of these recipes were hits with me and the husband. I also made the Peruvian Roasted Chicken (minus the sauce). I may not even be able to get good pictures of that since my husband brought a whole bunch for lunch today. I actually did it with drumsticks instead of a whole chicken and it was still amazing!

My goal is to introduce at least 2 new recipes to my household a month. I will also do my best to take pictures, since as you can see, my meals looked nothing like the pictures on Skinny Taste BUT they tasted really good.

Do you have any favorite healthy recipe sites that you use?

What does Holistic mean?

                                                               Source: shrimpsaladcircus.blogspot.com via KandidlyKim on Pinterest

The Free Dictionary defines holistic as the following:

holistic [həʊˈlɪstik]
adj
1. (Philosophy) of or relating to a doctrine of holism
2. (Medicine) of or relating to the the medical consideration of the complete person, physically and psychologically, in the treatment of a disease
holistically adv

So what does this mean when it comes to health and fitness? I think part two of the definition is really the essential part. When creating a nutrition, health, and fitness regime it is important to look at the complete person, physically and psychologically. I believe that this definition can be a little different for every person when broken down into an actual plan. When I hear the word holistic, I visualize a version of me who his curvy, but slender, flexible, standing in the yoga tree pose and drinking green juice. Yes, green juice. I attempted to juice like Amber started to do, and honestly, it is not for me. I feel so deprived, and diets where you feel deprived are not something that I can force myself to commit to. 

Last June when Work It Out, Gurl first began, I "said" I was looking to embark on a lifestyle change that was not only long lasting, but would yield the body and mind that I have been seeking for years. Although I have never seen some changes, I am no where near where I would have liked to be now. I could sit here and beat myself up, and say all of the things I have accomplished, but that still won't change the the reality of what my situation is at this moment. I need to do better. AND I can definitely say I know better now! When I think about adopting a holistic health and fitness plan, I think about making sure that the body and mind are both being nourished and taken care of together. In the past, I feel that I either focus on my nutrition, fitness, or mental wellness; just one at a time. Never all three to make sure that I can learn to have all facets of myself work in unison to create better me.

Come September  TODAY, there will be some changes over here at Work It Out, Gurl. You will see a definite change in the subject matter of my posts. This summer, I took a summer off from worrying too much about fitness and health due to being stressed in general and about the wedding. But this fall, it will not only be back to school, but back on the good foot with health and fitness. I am not sure what plan, if any that I will be following, but when I get it together, you know I will be sharing it all right here. I will create my definition of a holistic plan to ensure that I can meet my health and fitness goals.

What does holistic mean to you?

Preparing Food for Weight Loss SUCCESS

Wednesday after work hours, Amber and I had life changing conversation about what we need to be doing when it comes to our eating.

We know that:

• We generally eat very well. Over the past year, after cutting a lot of bad foods out of our diets/eating them in moderation AND learning correct portion sizes, we cannot even stomach some of the fatty-goodness  bad food that we used to eat. 
• We both have a love hate relationship with tracking our food. Amber cannot stand it because it makes her feel constricted. I don't mind it most of the time, but then I get obsessive compulsive about it. I mean, I cannot put something in my mouth without tracking it. 
• We don't really plan ahead when it comes to our eating. 
• AND when we don't do whatever we "commit" to doing, we get upset and give up completely until we "get motivated" to restart. 

SO, what does this mean? The biggest thing that we identified is our need to plan ahead. If we are able to plan ahead, it will help almost all of our eating related problems. I've talked before about my love for the BodyBuilding.com website, and all of those lovely figured people all take a day to plan out ALL of their meals for the ENTIRE week. I mean, you will never see a Tupperware collection like theirs if you walked into their kitchen on a Sunday. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Snacks. All planned so eating is an afterthought throughout the week. 

Last night after doing some grocery shopping, I decided that I needed to plan ahead a little more myself. I get hungry at random times throughout the day and never have a pre-portioned snack available. Instead of leaving the whole box of Wheat Thins on the shelf until I get hungry, I went ahead and pre-portioned out little snack baggies so I can grab a full portion size when hunger hits me. Since they are pre-portioned, this will also keep me from reaching my hand back into the box to grab  "just one more". I then placed all of the snack baggies right back into the box to store them in the pantry.

One small step towards planning my meals is completed! I also figure that if I get into the habit of pre-planning my days (food wise), then tracking will be much easier. Essentially, if I plan my week on a Sunday, then I should be able to pre-track my calories for the whole week and just adjust when needed. Although I get obsessed with tracking my food, I know that it is a habit that I need to try and get myself more comfortable with and planning ahead will make that much easier. This will also be a little less stressful than following a meal plan because I will be making my meals with ingredients that I have in my kitchen. When I attempt to follow a meal plan I always end up substituting and that just defeats the purpose.

It is midweek, so I didn't want to stay up all night preparing food for the rest of the work week, but come Sunday. I am going to test out my meal planning skills and get myself ready a full work week of pre-portioned food.

Have you ever tried meal planning before?

How to Make a Protein Shake: Chocolate Peanut Butter

I get asked this question all of the time when I tell anyone that I actually drink protein shakes. I sometimes can't believe it myself. I cannot wait to shower after a workout so I can get a protein shake. Crazy, right? There are two ways that you can make your shake. It can be looser (like the consistency of milk) or an actual shake (like the consistency of a milkshake).

It all starts with a quality protein power though. I prefer the XSport Fitness brand which I have heard is made my Optimum Nutrition. You just need to find one that you actually like the taste of. I would get samples from GNC or your gym before committing to purchase a huge jar of it. No matter how many reviews you read, the person who says it tastes amazing does not have the same taste buds are you. Period.

The nutrition info for 3 scoops of my protein powder is as follows.

Calories: 280  Total Fat: 1.5g  Carbs: 6g  Fiber: 1g  Sugars: 2g  Protein: 60g

And yes, it still tastes sweet and chocolatey!

When you are looking for a quality protein, you also want to make sure that it is not infused with a whole bunch of junk either. And by junk, I mean carbs... which really means sugar. It's a protein shake, not a milkshake that is made to just made you feel good emotionally on a rough day. A protein shake is made to help revitalize your muscles and power you through the day. 

The quick way (the consistency of milk) you will need:
12oz of water
3 scoops of Chocolate Protein Powder
2 TBS of PB2
A Shaker bottle (like THIS) or a blender

Combine all of the ingredients in the shaker bottle or a blender and ENJOY! Just make sure that all of the powder is dissolved in the water. Now, if you are not a fan of PB2, you can use regular peanut butter, but then you definitely need a blender and not a shaker bottle. If you need more calories, you can substitute milk for the water as well. Mr. Man enjoys his with 6oz vanilla soy milk and 6oz water.

The "Milkshake" Way
Approximately 6oz of water
2 cups of ice (crushed ice blends better)
3 scoops of Chocolate Protein Powder
2 TBS of PB2

Combine all of your ingredients in the blender and blend until it is the consistency that you like. If it is too thick, add more water. If you have a good quality blender, you can also add in 1/2 a banana if you like. (This is how Amber normally likes her shake.) And you can substitute milk again if you need more calories and regular peanut butter if you don't like the PB2.

Just remember that any substitutions that you make add on to the amount of calories that you are consuming for the day. It's super easy to forget to count the calories when you are drinking them.

Eating right to get your body right

Check out my final Post Host post for Everyday Polish. This post was featured on Chelle's blog last Tuesday. If you are interested in doing a post host feature with me on your blog, please email me at kimberly.workitoutgurl@gmail.com to discuss frequency, topics, ect. 


Hello EP! I have missed you! This is a bittersweet post since it is the last in our series of 4 Post Host posts! So, let's break it down, we have talked about finding the time to work out, trying weight loss plans, and how to gauge when you are getting results. What are we missing? We need to learn how to....

                                                                Source: us.mg201.mail.yahoo.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

Yes, eating right is a HUGE part of getting fit and losing weight. In order to eat right, you need a few essential around your kitchen and a few tips in the back of your brain.

1. Measuring cups. I know you've read all of those articles that say a cup looks like half of a baseball, grapefruit, or whatever circular shape they can think of but nothing beats knowing by actually using a measuring cup. Sometimes, it can just be a matter of eating over-sized portions of not-so-bad foods that will keep you from reaching your goals. Or even underestimating how much of a food you are eating so that you are not taking in enough calories. Save yourselves the hassle of not knowing and get yourself some measuring cups. You can find them at your local grocery store for under $5. 

2. Fresh Produce. Clean eating is all the rage right now, but for some people that may not be realistic. However, you need to incorporate fresh fruits and veggies If you haven't heard of clean eating please check out this post from The Gracious Pantry. I stumbled across this article when I was reading up on it, and it explains everything in easy terms. Fresh produce is essential in eating healthy. Period. Fruits and veggies help naturally clean out our systems, they have natural sugars to satisfy your sweet tooth, lots of fiber,  and you can generally eat more fruits and veggies because the calories are lower. (Just don't run to the corn and potatoes everyday!)

3. Moderation. If you deprive yourself from eating foods that you love, there will most likely be a time when a craving will strike you... and a carrot stick will not do your craving justice. From my experience, I find it easier to plan ahead by having an established cheat day. You can move it around the week to suit your  weekly schedule if you need to, or just have a day set in stone. But that day is necessary. I know on my cheat day, it usually only ends up being a cheat meal or snack because I don't have the taste for a lot of fatty foods anymore. AND then when I get in front of the cheat dish, I can't even finish it. But, it makes me feel so much better to know that I can give myself a break occasionally. 

4. Eat frequently. In order to make sure that your body becomes a lean, mean, fat-burning machine, you must add some fuel to the fire. That means healthy meals spread throughout your day. I swear by having 5 - 6 mini meals OR 3 full meals with 2 - 3 snacks. The first meal should be within 1 hour of waking up. If you can't stomach a whole meal, at least throw a piece of fruit in your mouth. These meals should be composed of a portion of protein (eggs/chicken/turkey), complex carbohydrates (brown rice/sweet potatoes/whole wheat toast), and a fruit/veggie.

5. Consistency. Okay... eating better for one or two weeks is not going to change your life. The changes you make today, may not show up for a month or sometimes two. It is so important to stick to the plan for a good amount of time in order to see if it works or doesn't work for you. Eating better will help improve your skin, hair, nails, energy levels, and of course, your body. But those changes do not take place overnight. More importantly, if you fall off of the good eating band wagon, you better dust yourself off and pick yourself back up at your next meal. Not the next day, week, or Sunday that comes around. 

Those are my quick and easy 5 tips to help you get on track with your eating so you can start seeing results. Of course there is so much more I could say, but then this post could take up it's own blog! If you have any questions or concerns, please stop by Work It Out, Gurl or contact me via email at kimberly.workitoutgurl@gmail.com.

Until next time!

New Monthly Fitness Goals

After doing a weekend full of online research (via Body Building mostly) and speaking with my trainer about my progress, I have come up with a plan of action that will take me through April. I also set some more attainable goals this month. I get really down on myself when I am not able to meet the goals I set. Given that I have a little over 5 weeks until April 30th, I feel that these goals are challenging enough to keep me motivated, but not too far fetched. I am also debating on scheduling a day off from work to go to the spa to celebrate ahead of time. I tend to tell myself that I don't deserve to be treated until I meet my goals, but maybe a little motivation  midway  through will help keep me more sane.

The biggest feat for me this month will be not hopping on the scale each day and not tracking my calories. After a year of being on this weight loss journey, I know how much I eat everyday and I rarely binge eat. Tracking my calories in MyFitnessPal has almost become an obsession for me. I spend so much time finding the exact foods that I ate, I check the nutrition labels to ensure that it is correct, and I am not comfortable actually eating my food until I track it. The odd thing is that, I still don't always stick to the guidelines that are set on MFP though. I just mope and beat myself up for not doing it more consistently. 

The scale is the way of judging myself that I force myself to endure most mornings of the week. As much as I read about not letting the number ruin my day, I can't help it. That number, to me, represents if I am doing things correctly. Which I know is not an accurate depiction of the work that I put in at the gym. (Right now NONE of my jeans fit. The pairs I have been wearing since I gained weight are all gapping in the waist and the pairs I wore when I was smaller are all still too tight. So I guess this means I will be resorting to leggings. Thank goodness they are back in style).

As for my eating, I will break this down a bit more later with the exact types of food choices that I will be making, but in short, there has been a lot of research on the benefits of having 6 small meals throughout the day. The greatest benefit has a lot to do with keeping your metabolism working. By eating more frequently, never allowing yourself to get too hungry, your metabolism stays fired up throughout the day. This can help you ultimately lose more weight. So, we will see. 

***crossing my fingers for a good month***

Do you really need a snack?

Chances are when you are in a snacky mood, you probably don't really need to eat anything. If you are anything like me, you love the chewing sensation. I know that sounds terrible! But it's so true! Sometimes, I just want to chew something... for no reason. If you have done any reading on emotional eating, a lot of times when you have the sensation to chew, it is because you have conditioned yourself to need to chomp on something when you are angry or frustrated. Hence, the chewing sensation where you literally chew away your problems. So you crave something crunchy, like potato chips, or even something gummy, like gummy bears, so you can chew aggressively.

I found this litte chart on Pinterest to help you distinguish what action really needs to be taken when you feel like snacking.

                                                                 Source: eatwisedropasize.tumblr.com via j on Pinterest

Protein Protein Protein

Anyone on a weight loss journey has to have heard the power of protein. You need it. Whether you decide to eat chicken from 9 - 5 or go ahead and incorporate a protein shake into you diet. You need it. Every cell your body contains protein and it is a major part of the skin, muscles, organs, and glands. But when it comes to weight loss, having protein in your food choices will keep you fuller longer. 

My wonderful personal trainer has been drilling the importance of eating protein, especially after a hard workout and in the morning, into my brain every session. I even tried his favorite protein shake after workout and was amazed at how jazzed up it could taste. It was a mixture of water, 2 scoops of chocolate flavored protein, a lump of peanut butter and 1/2 a banana. This shake was loaded with protein and flavor that helped my tired body recover and served as a meal replacement as I raced through the rest of my day.

On Sunday after church, Mr. Man and I made out routine trip to the grocery store and we came across Ensure High Protein Shakes. They were a bit pricey ($11 bucks I think). But we decided to purchase a 4 pack to test them out. In 14oz it packs in 210 calories, 2.5g of fat, 23 carbs, 3g fiber, 5g sugar, and a whopping 25g of protein. The thing I always look for is the grams of sugar. I don't want to purchase a pre-made protein shake that masks the protein flavor by adding in mounds of sugar so the fact that it only has 5g of sugar is great in my mind.

Now for the taste. It does have the proteiny like aftertaste, but the actual flavor isn't bad. It is more than tolerable. I tried it right out the bottle when I got home after it only being refrigerated for less than 10 minutes. I imagine that it will taste much better when it is ice-cold. It is sweet and tastes similar to a watered down milkshake which is perfect for a protein shake in my mind. But there is one thing. It reeks of vitamins. It smells just  like a jar of vitamin pills so you may want to plug your nose and taste it before the actual smell taints the whole experience.

Depending on the price for a larger pack of these from Costco, we may decide to purchase some more. I am about to start a weight loss challenge at my gym, so they require that you purchase protein and a few supplements from them to participate, but I know some days I will need the convenience of a pre-made shake versus mixing it up myself.

Have you incorporated protein into your weight loss regime?

Counting every morsel

Generally when I cook for myself or try out a new recipe, I don't count all of the calories. I just kind of wing it. When I enter my food into MFP I generally just estimate what I put into my food because when I am cooking for Mr. Man, I just add a dash of this... a tab more of that... and you know the rest. I know that I am not completely underestimating because I have been measuring almost everything since April 2011 when I started my weight loss journey BUT I should be more serious. If I am going to count my calories, I am going to count all of my calories and stop estimating.


On Sunday, I generally try to cook enough food to last Mr. Man and I though Wednesday. This means lunch and dinner for everyday. This time around, I slowed myself down and measured every ounce of every ingredient to share with ya'll. This also means that I will have an accurate calorie count for myself AND for you if you ever try any of my recipes. So coming soon will be a recipe for Jerk Pepper Steak and a healthier version of the Chicken Stew that I made before. In time, I will try and go back into my old recipes and add the calorie counts for those as well, including the meatballs pictured above.